


to withhold information is to love, right?

by oredatte



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Canon Compliant, Falling In Love, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, POV Alternating, Sexuality Crisis, if it were up to him kotetsu would marry barnaby without ever telling kaede, kotetsu is allergic to telling people important information, or at least im pretty sure its compliant, sitcom-esque
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 05:04:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18161816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oredatte/pseuds/oredatte
Summary: Or how Kaede proceeded to learn everything about her father's relationship by accident, because if Kotetsu ever actually told her anything important he'd surely drop dead.





	to withhold information is to love, right?

**Author's Note:**

> howdy yall! i started writing this within minutes of finishing the anime so... enjoy

It wasn’t on purpose. He _swears_ it wasn’t on purpose.

It’s not his fault that he needed to shower, he’s been going extra hard while working out these days due to only having one minute of Hundred Power, and it’s _certainly_ not his fault that he’s a guy. As a guy, he has to use the men’s locker room, obviously, it’s not like he could just stroll into the women’s. It’s not his fault that Barnaby was stepping out of the shower right as he walked in. It’s also not his fault that Barnaby was buck naked and glistening.

He did _not_ stroll into that locker room with the intent of ogling his partner. If he did ogle his partner with reckless abandon, well, that’s between Kotetsu and God, now, isn’t it?

Man, Kotetsu just couldn’t help himself, though not for lack of trying. It’s impossible _not_ to stare when Barnaby has his glasses off and his hair plastered to his face and droplets of water sliding down the muscled planes of his body. I mean, Barnaby’s _right there_ , how could Kotetsu resist?

They’ve only been reunited for a week and half, Kotetsu obviously just missed having his partner around, that’s _clearly_ what this is about. I mean, how could he not miss Barnaby? Even after that long year apart, he’s still his partner, closest friend, and confidant.

Anyway, Kotetsu’s not even gay, so what does it matter if he got an eyeful? Though, when he thinks about it, if he _were_ gay, it’d be for Barnaby.

Being around Bunny makes him feel warm and fuzzy and just a little bit turned on.

Whoa. Okay. That’s one hell of a dangerous thought.

In the private sanctum of his mind, hidden amongst the dead wife angst and parenting difficulties, there is a box. It’s labelled ‘REPRESSED – DO NOT OPEN’ and it’s _full_. He knows what it’s full of, too, though once again not for lack of trying. In the silence of the night, alone in a king-sized bed he hasn’t shared in seven years, he digs into that box.

He can’t get off if he doesn’t, and he can’t sleep if he doesn’t get off. It’s a vicious cycle.

The box holds memories, mostly. Stolen glances across locker rooms, glimpses of swimwear and sports magazines, snippets of a porno he watched with his friends as a joke, and _lots_ of Barnaby. Barnaby changing, Barnaby working out, Barnaby fighting, and, fuck, even Barnaby _laughing_.

There are fantasies, too. Strong arms wrapped around his body, calloused hands stroking his cock, hard body behind him as he’s bent over a table and penetr—well. You get it. A lot of them come from dreams he’s had, ones where he wakes up panting and sweaty and covered in his own come, unable to look anyone in the eye the next day.

In the beginning, when he first dug into the box he swore he would never dig into, he told himself it was just because he was lonely.

“I’m not gay, I _loved_ my wife,” He told himself firmly, “It’s just that she’s been gone for two years, so my body doesn’t remember what it was like to be with a woman. I just have to prove to it that it doesn’t like men.” But the second he opened that box, the second he opened the floodgates, he knew.

He was gay all along, wasn’t he?

Kotetsu still repressed it, though, because that’s just not something he could accept about himself. Not now, not ever.

Anyway, isn’t it disrespectful to Tomoe? To say that he never really loved her, was never attracted to her? Because that’s not true. Not all of it, at least. He loved her. He loved her so, so much.

The answer comes to him from an unexpected source. After seeing Bunny in all his naked glory, Kotetsu beats a hasty and possibly embarrassing retreat. He races to his empty condo, flops down onto his too-big couch, and cradles his head in his shaking hands. His pants are tight and his face is red, and he is so _ashamed_. His phone buzzes fitfully in his pocket but he ignores it.

Or, at least, he tries to. He slides it out of his pocket with the intention of tossing it onto the coffee table, but when he sees the picture of an African buffalo, he pauses. That’s not Barnaby.

He debates answering it, but he does. He’s always been a little weak when this man gets involved.

“Hello?”

The deep voice booms from the other line, “Kotetsu! It’s me!”

“Hey, Antonio,” Kotetsu says a little flatly, not knowing if Antonio noticed his not-so-smooth retreat earlier, “What’s up?”

Antonio sounds happy as a clam as he replies, “Are you free? I had a dinner reservation but my date cancelled on me. Do you like steak?”

“What, you want me to go with you because your date bailed?” Kotetsu snorts.

“Yeah! Do you like steak?”

Now, normally Kotetsu would shut him down, but he _loves_ steak. Also, not that this played into it or anything, he really doesn’t want to be left alone with his thoughts. He knows they’ll be circular and homosexual and he can _not_ deal with that right now.

“Y’know what, Toño? Sure. Let’s get some steak.”

Don’t tell anyone this, but he also missed the hell out of his best friend. Is it really that surprising that he said yes?

The restaurant ends up being really nice. It’s one of those high-class joints where everyone wears ties and the maître-d’ sneers at you if you’re not wearing Armani (or whatever company makes nice suits, Kotetsu wouldn’t know). He just skirts by with his usual outfit, sans the hat, and follows Antonio to the table a little slower than his normal gait.

Now, Kotetsu is a steak connoisseur, so believe him when he tells Antonio that this is good fuckin’ steak. It’s perfectly marbled and perfectly cooked and he really thinks he can die happy, now.

Kotetsu is almost finished with his entrée by the time Antonio brings up the Incident Which Must Not Be Named. Honestly, Kotetsu had mostly forgotten about it by now, and assumed Antonio did too.

Well, you know what they say about assuming.

“So, my friend, why’d you rush out of HQ earlier?”

Kotetsu sighs, leaning back in his chair, “Is that why you brought me here?”

“Partially,” Antonio admits as he thoughtfully swirls his wine glass, “But my date really did cancel on me, and I think I would’ve invited you anyway. So, Tetsu, why’d you leave?”

“I left my stove on?” It sounds weak even to his own ears.

Antonio chuckles, “I’ve known you a long time, Tetsu, so I can tell when you’re lying. Did something happen?”

“Nothing that hasn’t happened before,” Kotetsu huffs bitterly, stabbing his potatoes a bit too forcefully, “Damn Bunny.” He chews them but doesn’t taste anything but ash.

“Oh? Something with Barnaby, then, is it?”

“You could say that.”

“You’re not fighting again, are you?” Antonio asks, so genuinely concerned that Kotetsu loses all urge to lie to him. In fact, he thinks he’ll tell him the whole truth, because they’re best friends and Antonio always had his back, memory altering events notwithstanding.

Kotetsu decides to trust his friend. “Can you keep a secret?

“Of course.”

“I… walked in on Bun—Barnaby when he was naked. It did all sorts of funny shit to my insides and I had to beat it or risk ruining the partnership we _just_ got back. I can’t screw that up, not when we’re finally starting to get along again. It’s finally back the way it was, y’know?”

Antonio leans forward, resting his forearms on the edge of the table, watching his friend with analytic eyes that seem out of place on him. He tilts his head and asks, “Kotetsu, why did seeing him naked affect you so much?”

Ah. The million-dollar question. “I, um…” God, how much does he want to reveal? Looking at Toño, seeing the way his forehead creases with worry, Kotetsu decides to unload it _all_. He tells him about the repressed thoughts and the box, about the daydreams and the spank bank, about the wet dreams and warm fuzzies, about Tomoe and his perceived betrayal, and Antonio just listens.

Just sits and listens and sips his wine.

At the end, when it’s all out there, hanging heavily in the air, Antonio reaches out to lightly touch Kotetsu’s wrist. It’s a soft, platonic touch, and it makes Kotetsu _melt_.

“Tetsu, thank you for telling me. I’m glad you feel you can trust me like that. I think… a lot of stuff just started to make sense. Before I launch into a tirade of advice, though, let me tell you something. The date that cancelled on me? It was a man.” The bottom falls out of Kotetsu’s world. Antonio doesn’t seem to notice, as he continues, “I’m gay. Does that make me any less of a man? Any less of a hero?”

What kind of question of that? Antonio is an incredible hero. “Of course not, Toño, that’d be ridiculous!”

“Then why would that be the case for you?”

The bottom falls out of Kotetsu’s world _again_.

“Tetsu, listen to me, being gay is _normal_. Fire Emblem is gay. I’m gay. I think Agnes is gay. There are plenty of us right here in Hero TV, not to mention in all of Sternbild. You’re definitely not the only one. But, honestly, I don’t think you’re actually gay, Tetsu.”

“Then why do I lo—like Barnaby so much?”

Antonio has the gall to look amused as he says, “It’s obvious! You’re bi.”

“I’m _what_?”

“Bisexual. You’re attracted to both men and women.”

And suddenly everything falls into place. Kotetsu isn’t a freak, he’s not broken—it’s okay to like both, it’s _normal_. He didn’t even know this was an option! There are other people like him out there, he’s not alone, he’s not a freak.

But he is, in fact, in love with his probably straight partner, and that’s definitely not ideal. Just when they started getting along, too. Typical.

* * *

It wasn’t on purpose. He _swears_ it wasn’t on purpose.

It’s not his fault that he was changing in a stall in the locker room. Where else is he supposed to change? It’s _certainly_ not his fault that his partner is also a guy and therefore uses the same locker room. It’s not his fault that Kotetsu’s voice carries to the point that he can be clearly be heard from every corner of the room, whether you’re trying to listen or not. It’s also not his fault that Kotetsu wants to have private conversations in non-private locations where he can be easily overheard.

He did _not_ stroll into that locker room with the intent of eavesdropping on his partner. If he did rapturously eavesdrop, well, that’s between Barnaby and God, now, isn’t it?

Man, Barnaby just couldn’t help himself, though not for lack of trying. It’s impossible _not_ to listen in when Antonio starts the conversation by asking if Kotetsu liked the date he set him up with and Kotetsu responds that _he_ was kind of a weirdo. I mean, Kotetsu went on a date with a man, how could Barnaby resist?

He couldn’t, especially now that he knows he might have a chance, that there’s hope for him yet.

With the kind of childhood he had, Barnaby didn’t care too much about things like love and sex, they just weren’t important to him. He didn’t really think about it until his senior year of high school, when a girl confessed to him, and he shrugged and figured he might as well give this whole dating thing the old college try. He didn’t want to be the only guy in his school who hadn’t gotten a girlfriend—he was handsome even then, and he knew people would talk. That would be a headache, so he’d given her a shot.

He slept with her once. He dumped her a week later. It was pretty evident that women just don’t do it for him, but he had to be sure, so in the years between school and his hero debut, he had a number of one-night stands with men he met at bars. He realized that yep, he was definitely gay, but after he knew for sure, he didn’t touch another person. He just had no interest in anything like that.

Enter Wild Tiger, stage left.

The man seemed washed up and goofy, outdated and almighty, when he showed up in that gaudy suit of his. When Barnaby first saw him without it, though, he knew he was in trouble. He was _hot_.

But, for a long time, he was just hot. He was hot, yes, but also annoying, and self-righteous, and downright infuriating even on his better days. He was hot enough to jerk off to, but it was always angry, always tinged with shame. It fueled the fire and made Barnaby nastier, uglier, angrier. His fuse was shorter than ever.

Things changed, though. Slowly but surely, Kotetsu chipped away at Barnaby’s walls, making a cozy little spot for himself in Barnaby’s heart.

Barnaby realized that Kotetsu was genuine, and kind, and dedicated. He stopped being angry and started being just mildly annoyed. This eventually melted into tolerance, which easily gave way gratefulness. As if his emotions were on a precarious slope, as soon as appreciation and admiration reared their heads, they evolved into a crush that bloomed into love. Kotetsu is arguably the goofiest man on the planet but he cares so much, and so deeply, it’s really no wonder Barnaby fell so hard.

Why wouldn’t he?

Then, when Maverick showed his true colors and Barnaby thought, even if for just a moment, that Kotetsu had died, he knew what he wanted. He wanted Kotetsu by his side, under his watch, forever and always. He wanted Kotetsu in whatever capacity he was granted.

When Kotetsu retired, Barnaby couldn’t stand the thought of being a hero without him, without his partner, his closest friend, his love. He retreated back into himself.

Kotetsu has only been back in Sternbild for a few weeks, now. Barnaby missed him like a phantom limb.

As he surreptitiously listens in on Kotetsu’s recounting of the botched date, Barnaby feels shame, the same shame he felt all those months ago when he first wrapped a hand around himself and pretended it was Kotetsu’s.

The shame vanishes, though, when Kotetsu mumbles, “Stop setting me up with blondes, Toño, don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

“I thought you had a thing for blondes! Wasn’t Tomoe blonde?”

“No, she was a brunette, and you know that. Don’t play coy. Stop picking guys that look like Barnaby, that won’t help me get over him—which is, if you recall, the entire reason I agreed to go on these shitty blind dates.”

The bottom falls out of Barnaby’s world. Kotetsu is trying to get over _him_? Is this a dream?

Please, God, let this be real.

Barnaby has a few options, now. He would normally go through them in his head, listing out their pros and cons, debating each idea with himself before acting, but this is a bit of a special case. He moves without thinking.

He slams the stall door open, startling Kotetsu and Antonio, and stomps up to the pair of them.

Antonio beats a hasty retreat with a shit-eating grin on his face. Kotetsu is bright red. Barnaby grabs his partner’s flushed face and kisses him with everything he has, smiling to himself when Kotetsu kisses him back and grabs onto his shirt like a lifeline. They stand there, making out like teenagers while in a public locker room, for _way_ longer than either would admit.

When Kotetsu pulls back, there’s a line of spit connecting his mouth to Barnaby’s. It shouldn’t be as sexy as they both find it.

“Were you eavesdropping? Not very heroic of you,” Kotetsu teases, running his fingers through Barnaby’s incredibly soft hair and shuddering at the feel. He feels like he’s been waiting his whole life to have this man in his arms, to have this skin beneath his questing fingers.

Barnaby snorts, “Don’t tell me you’re not glad I did.” If he leans into Kotetsu’s hand as it cups his cheek, well, that’s between Barnaby and God, now, isn’t it?

Kotetsu pushes Barnaby against the wall and he lets him, ravishing each other like they’re searching for the ambrosia of the gods in the depths of the other’s mouth. When they pull back in sync, they’re both hard and panting, but they pull back nonetheless—if they don’t stop now, they’ll never stop, and that wouldn’t be a good look. Can’t have their first time happen in public, where any of their friends could just walk in.

They adjust their clothes in a silence that starts warm and charged but ends awkward, stilted. Neither of them know what to say. Neither of them know what they want to hear.

The two of them walk silently through the gym, pointedly ignoring Antonio’s nigh-lecherous grin, and emerge to squint in the sun. The sidewalk is mostly empty. Both of their cars are parked nearby, but neither make a move toward their vehicle. There’s unfinished business here, lingering in the air, and it feels important that they deal with it now.

“Bunny, do you wanna… come to my place?” Kotetsu asks sheepishly, turning red when he notices the double entendre of his words, “Not for, um, that! Just… to talk?”

Barnaby looks at his partner, eying his fidgeting hands and blushing face, and smiles softly. He agrees and Kotetsu looks relieved and terrified in equal parts.

Silence descends again as they climb into Kotetsu’s cheap car. He starts the engine and sighs quietly, breaking Barnaby’s heart ever so slightly. This car ride will be absolute agony if they don’t dissolve this oppressive tension soon. Barnaby figures it’ll end up being up to him, anyway, so he says, “I assume we’re supposed to talk about what happened in the locker room.” It was more than just a kiss, but calling it a make out session sounds juvenile.

“You know what they say about assuming,” Kotetsu tuts, not even trying to pretend that he’s not avoiding the topic. His cheeks are still burning bright red and his knuckles are white around the steering wheel.

“Kotetsu-san.”

“God, Bunny. Yes. We have to talk about the kiss.”

Barnaby snorts, “That was certainly more than one kiss.”

“Do you have to be a jerk about this?”

“Do you have to be so avoidant? You kissed me back.”

“Yeah, idiot, but that’s because I like you. Duh. What I want to know is why _you_ kissed _me_ ,” Kotetsu snaps, slapping a hand over his mouth when his brain finally catches up. His eyes don’t leave the road but he’s shaking. He’s almost home, he’s so close, but Barnaby is watching him with those _eyes_.

Reaching out, Barnaby gently pulls Kotetsu’s hand off his face and laces their fingers together. “Kotetsu-sa—Kotetsu. I kissed you because I _like_ you.”

“Why would you like an old man like me?” Kotetsu mumbles miserably as he pulls into his driveway. He puts the car in park, cradling his head in his free hand, still not letting go of his partner.

“You’re an incredible man and an incredible hero, Kotetsu, you deserve to be loved. When you were gone for that year, God, I was miserable without you.” The words are raw and honest, but he keeps going. “I’m not even the only one that likes you. You’re amazing, and everyone knows it.”

“What? There’s someone else who likes me?”

Barnaby shakes his head affectionately and chuckles, “Are you really that dense? Karina has been enamored for _months_. Nathan’s always trying to seduce you, too. And don’t think that Antonio doesn’t give you lingering looks behind your back.”

“What?? Blue Rose? I thought she hated me! And Nathan is just joking, Bunny, they’re always like that. Anyway, Toño’s my best friend, he’s allowed to look at me!” Wild Tiger is an incredible hero with lot of abilities, but keen observational skills are not among them.

Barnaby might be just a little bit in love.

* * *

It wasn’t on purpose. He _swears_ it wasn’t on purpose.

It’s not his fault that he loves Kaede so much. Because he loves her so much, he’s afraid of upsetting her, and it’s _certainly_ not his fault that she’s so sensitive to literally anything and everything. It’s not his fault that he would protect her from anything, even minor dad-related stresses. It’s also not his fault that he didn’t tell her—well, actually, that one _is_ entirely his fault. Hey, nobody’s perfect.

It’s not like Kotetsu has a great track record of telling people important things when he knows it will upset them, anyway. So, he figures that it’s Bunny’s fault, really. What was Bunny thinking, expecting Kotetsu to tell Kaede himself? He should’ve known better.

She will surely blow a gasket when she finds out. With that in mind, he vows to never tell her, without really thinking why. He won’t lie to her, but he won’t go out of his way to enlighten her, either.

He’s had enough lying to his daughter.

Kaede finds out by accident, of course, and it happens exactly six months into their relationship. He’s in his condo, sprawled lazily on the couch, on a video call with Kaede, and in a little bit of a hurry. The call was out of the blue, his mother checking in to make sure he’s eating things that aren’t fried rice, and Kaede hijacked the call to yell at him.

He was in the middle of tying his tie when he answered the call, and it now hangs limply around his neck as Kaede rears her head, gently (if not politely) demanding to speak to her father. His mother chuckles indulgently, scolding him one final time before exiting so he can grin at his daughter like a doofus.

“Aw, Kaede-chan, are you excited to talk to daddy?”

She shoots him the dirtiest look imaginable. “No,” She says plainly, arms crossed over her sparkly shirt, “I just want to know why you’re dressed like that.”

“Huh?” He looks down at his nicest suit, pink dress shirt, and untied tie. “What’s wrong with it?” He asks a little petulantly, crossing his arms, mirroring her pose.

Kaede rolls her eyes at him. “There’s nothing wrong it, you big baby. Are you going out? You always tell us when there’s a hero gala.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve got a date tonight.”

“A what?!”

“It’s our sixth month anniversary so—” He realizes what he’s said a beat too late. The bottom falls out of Kotetsu’s world.

Kaede goes nuclear. “SIXTH MONTHS?! YOU’VE BEEN DATING SOMEONE FOR SIXTH MONTHS AND YOU DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING?!” She continues to ream him in such a manner for another ten minutes, completely steamrolling him every time he tries to end the call. He was scared that she would be upset about him dating—he didn’t want her to feel like he was trying to replace Tomoe—but she’s only upset about being left out of the loop for so long.

Honestly, she shouldn’t be surprised. He’s really bad about telling her anything at all ever.

That doesn’t mean that she’s not mad about it, though.

He ends up late for his date. He’s in the car when 6:30pm passes, and at 6:31, his phone rings. He props it up on the center console and opens the call to reveal Bunny’s pristine (if a little pinched) face. “Hey, Bunny, I’m almost there!”

“Why are you late? You’ve never been late to one of our dates before.”

Kotetsu sighs, figuring that in order to avoid any more headaches, he should just be honest from the get-go. “It was Kaede. Nothing bad happened, she’s fine, but mom called me out of the blue and I got roped into talking to them. I let it slip that we were going out for our sixth month anniversary, but I, uh, still hadn’t told her I was dating someone, so she went berserk. Yelled at me for ten whole minutes!”

Bunny’s eyebrow twitches. Kotetsu knows he’s in big trouble when he gets to the restaurant.

“I’m pulling in now, I’ll see you in a second. Love you!” Kotetsu feels a little guilty for pulling out the ‘I love you’ but it makes Bunny smile. It also seems like bad luck to hang up without saying it, and even though he doesn’t consider himself a superstitious man, he doesn’t want to risk it.

“I love you too. I’ll go to our table, find me inside.”

Bunny is sitting at a private table towards the back of the restaurant—one of the perks of being celebrities, apparently—with his hands folded in front of him. To anyone else, he would look totally normal and nonchalant, but Kotetsu can tell that he’s mad. The slope of Bunny’s shoulders and the tightness of his jaw make his frustration quite evident to someone who’s been watching that face very closely for a long time.

Kotetsu sweeps into the room with a guilty grin on his face, kissing Bunny’s cheek before flopping into his chair. He knows he’s in trouble, but he can’t help but admire how handsome his boyfriend looks in his white suit and green tie, sans glasses.

“So, Kotetsu-san,” Bunny begins, and Kotetsu _really_ knows he’s in trouble because Bunny only uses that honorific when he’s mad, “You didn’t tell Kaede-chan like I asked you to?”

Straight for the jugular, huh? Kotetsu rubs the bridge of his nose, figuring it would be worse to prolong it, so he sighs, “No, I didn’t.”

“Why not?”

“I…” Hmn. Why didn’t he tell her? What was he afraid of? Ah. “I was afraid. Afraid of what she would think. What if she thought I was trying to replace Tomoe? What if she thought I didn’t care about her anymore? I guess that’s cowardly of me, but she’s the most important thing in my life, I didn’t want to have to choose between you and her. Because as much as I love you, I’d choose her.”

Bunny reaches out to grab his hand, lightly stoking his knuckles with the pad of his thumb. His eyes are soft under the mood lighting of the restaurant.

“Kotetsu,” He breathes softly, “I understand. I’d never really thought about it like that—if she would think you’re replacing her mother, or that you don’t care about her. Those are valid concerns. I was afraid that you were ashamed of me, of our relationship, but now I see that my fears were unfounded. Kotetsu, I couldn’t love a man who would choose his partner over his child.”

“I thought you’d be mad,” Kotetsu snorts. He’s getting off easy and he knows it.

“I was. But when you explained it to me, it made so much sense I was almost mad at myself for not thinking of it. You’re a good father.”

Kotetsu brings their clasped hands up to his mouth and lightly kisses his boyfriend’s knuckles. “I think six months was a little too long to wait, and I wish I hadn’t done it by accident, but I’m glad it happened. She was happy for me, in her own way—she was only mad and yelling because I didn’t tell her sooner!”

Their dinner is incredible, which isn’t surprising as this is Bunny’s favorite restaurant, and Kotetsu drives them both back to his place with a stupid grin on his face. He feels so much closer to his partner, now, even though he didn’t think that was possible.

Once they arrive, they break out the wine. It’s a night for celebrating, after all!

They both get a little lost in the sauce. They shower together, lazily kissing and washing each other, laughing and warm. When they brush their teeth, they have to lean against each other because they’re dizzy and tired, but it feels more a blessing than a curse, all things considered. Falling into bed is natural for them, and they fall asleep wrapped up together.

The next morning comes lazily. There’s no work that day, they requested the day off and Lloyds surprisingly conceded, so they wake up late with bad cases of cottonmouth.

They’ve been together long enough to have an established morning routine and they both slip into it.

Kotetsu heads into the kitchen to make breakfast, and Barnaby follows to make the coffee. They chat and tease and flirt, making fun of each other’s bed head and sneakily kissing each other’s faces, and they’re both _happy_. Neither thought they would ever get this opportunity again.

When the coffee and food are done, they spread it all out on the table and chow down.

After breakfast, they brush their teeth side-by-side once more, eyeing each other sultrily. The best part of their mornings is coming up and they’re both already worked up from anticipation.

They’re already kissing hotly before they even reach the bed, falling sideways onto it and giggling in each other’s mouths. They’re both in only underwear and t-shirts, so they’re naked in only a few moments, pressing their skin together to stave off the February chill that seeps into Kotetsu’s condo no matter how high he keeps the heat.

Kotetsu gently pushes Bunny onto his back, climbing over him and leaning in to nip at his neck.

They make love like that, lost amongst the sheets, Barnaby panting as Kotetsu thrusts into him. It’s rare for Kotetsu to top, but they needed it today.

The two of them shower quietly together after that. It’s warm and familiar, and even though it’s only been six months, both men know that this will be their forever. They both privately grin to themselves. Happy accidents make the world go ‘round.

* * *

It wasn’t on purpose. She _swears_ it wasn’t on purpose.

It’s not her fault that her dad randomly decided to visit. Doesn’t he have a job to do? A city to protect? It’s _certainly_ not her fault that her dad is used to living alone. It’s not her fault that because he’s used to living alone, he’s in the habit of leaving his shit all over the place like a child. It’s also not her fault that he wants to have private conversations on non-private devices that he leaves lying around with no passcode.

She did _not_ stroll into the kitchen with the intent of reading her dad’s messages. If she did rapturously read them, well, that’s between Kaede and God, now, isn’t it?

Man, Kaede just couldn’t help herself, though not for lack of trying. It’s impossible _not_ to snoop when the screen lights up and says ‘Bunny’ with a heart emoji next to it sent her dad a message that says ‘Miss you already’. I mean, with such a sappy message, how could Kaede resist?

She unlocks her dad’s phone and scrolls up a bit, knowing her dad never deletes anything. If she put her mind to it, she’s sure she could make it all the way to the first message exchanged with this ‘Bunny’. Those messages hold no interest for her, though, so she just goes about a week back into the log.

Who knows what she’ll find there!

It’s not like Kaede’s an idiot. She knows that this is her dad’s mysterious significant other, that’s no big mystery, but she knows _nothing_ about this person other than the fact that she exists. Every time she’s asked about Kotetsu’s mystery girlfriend, she’s been resolutely shut down, and it’s just making her even more curious. She has to know. What isn’t he telling her?

There has to be a reason he’s not telling her anything. She doesn’t think her father is the type to cheat, but who knows these days. He’s been dishonest in the past.

She doesn’t want to think it, but there is a small voice in the back of her mind that insists her dad is cheating on his girlfriend—every time he’s spoken to her since the big reveal, and before that, even, he’s talked about nothing but his work partner.

She knows he’s not paired with Barnaby anymore, not after being moved to the second league, so it must be a new partner. A woman, perhaps.

Kaede watches him on TV, there’s no partner that he’s been fighting with, so she suspects it’s someone from behind the scenes at Hero TV. Antonio once told her that all the heroes consider each other partners, but from context clues, she thinks her dad’s been talking about only one person.

This sleuthing is kind of fun. It makes her feel like Sherlock Holmes.

The messages are mostly innocuous, which is no fun. Lots of ‘got home safe (Two Hearts)’ and ‘good morning (Two Hearts)’ and not much else. This makes her think that they see each other almost every day, meaning that this ‘Bunny’ is probably the work mistress. How scandalous!

Incensed, she keeps scrolling up, all the way through the weeks until she reaches the night she found out—the infamous six-month anniversary with the girlfriend. This should settle once and for all who this ‘Bunny’ woman is.

Bunny(Two Hearts)  
  
**Kotetsu:** Good morning!! (Two Hearts)  
  
**Bunny:** Good morning Kotetsu.  
  
**Kotetsu:** U got any plans tonight?  
  
**Bunny:** Kotetsu.  
  
**Kotetsu:** (Just play along pls)  
  
**Bunny:** …  
  
**Bunny:** No, I don’t have any plans tonight.  
  
**Kotetsu:** Huh, well then… would u like to get dinner with me?  
  
**Bunny:** Like a… Date?  
  
**Kotetsu:** Do u want it to be a date?  
  
**Bunny:** Kotetsu, enough. If this is your way of reminding me about our reservation tonight, it’s unnecessary. I wouldn’t forget our six-month anniversary.  
  
**Kotetsu:** Ur no fun! :p  
  
**Bunny:** Is that news?  
  
**Kotetsu:** No but still..  
  
**Kotetsu:** Anyway—  


So that answers that, huh? Bunny is the girlfriend. She sounds like kind of a buzzkill. Damn, Kaede could’ve sworn Bunny was the work ‘partner’! She must have to up her detective skills, then, because she was _sure_.

She goes to put the phone down, but her curiosity gets the better of her, and she finishes reading the message she stopped part of the way through.

Bunny(Two Hearts)  
  
**Kotetsu:** Anyway has agnes been calling you?  


Oh, goodness, this should be good! Who on earth is Agnes?

Bunny(Two Hearts)  
  
**Bunny:** She’s always calling us.  
  
**Kotetsu:** I mean more than normal. Like a lot more than normal  
  
**Bunny:** Is something going on?  
  
**Kotetsu:** Idk! I thought it would be a work thing but when i asked her if shes been calling you too she said no  
  
**Bunny:** That’s very strange. We’re partners, she’s supposed to contact us together.  
  
**Kotetsu:** Yeah! So i thought it was really weird that she was calling me  
  
**Bunny:** Kotetsu, can we talk about this at the office? We’re both going to be late if we keep messaging each other instead of getting ready. I’ll see you at work. I love you.  
  
**Kotetsu:** Love you too bunny!  


The bottom falls out of Kaede’s world. Bunny is the work partner?! AND the girlfriend?! Oh, how the plot thickens.

It might be unfair of her to see her father’s love life as some kind of sitcom, but after everything that’s happened, they could both use a little brevity. It feels nice to be worried about her dad’s girlfriend instead of fearing for his life. That got old fast.

This explains a lot, actually. Bunny being both the work partner and the girlfriend fills in a lot of gaps. Kaede feels like she knows Bunny better, now, even though Bunny is most certainly a nickname.

Kotetsu talks about Bunny all the time, always saying ‘my partner’ instead of Bunny, but now Kaede knows. She always thought he sounded a little enamored. Bunny seems sweet, if a bit too serious, as most of her dad’s stories are about dragging Bunny out to have fun.

Bunny seems like a balancing force in Kotetsu’s life. That’s good. He needs it. He’s always been hotheaded and impulsive, and when Kaede looked back into his history as Wild Tiger, she noticed how often he would seriously injure himself.

This partner of his seems to be doing a good job of keeping Kotetsu safe, just like Barnaby did when they were still partners.

Kaede puts the phone down for real, now, making sure to leave it as she found it. Not that Kotetsu would actually notice, she just wants to cover all her bases. She smiles to herself, leaving the kitchen with a spring in her step, heading upstairs to do her homework before Anju gets on her case about it. Her dad is out with Uncle Muramasa, helping to clean the bar before it opens, leaving Kaede to wonder why he left his phone in the kitchen.

He’s still forgetful and irresponsible, balancing forces notwithstanding.

Whatever. If anyone really needs him, they’ll know to contact Muramasa. If they don’t know, then they don’t really matter in Kotetsu’s life, do they? Maybe he’ll bring Bunny out to Oriental Town one day.

What? Kaede can dream, can’t she? Huh. She wonders if Bunny even knows about Kotetsu’s family. She figures she does, everyone knows that Wild Tiger has a daughter, now, but knowing her dad, he probably didn’t tell his girlfriend initially.

Did he tell her accidentally, too? Does Bunny even know that Kaede knows?

Maybe keeping relationships in the hero business secret makes sense. But that shouldn’t extend to Kaede, not anymore. Maybe her dad just kept that mindset, doing the same thing he did with his identity, without thinking about how it would make Kaede feel. It doesn’t really matter now, though. What’s done is done. She knows now.

She knows even more, too. She thinks she understands why Kotetsu didn’t tell her that he works with his girlfriend—now Kaede will be watching Hero TV rapturously, trying to sleuth out which woman is the mystery girlfriend. Not that Bunny will even be on the screen.

There are only two female heroes, and they’re both minors. There’s no way her dad is dating a child. Her dad isn’t a piece of shit, and Bunny texts like a middle-aged man.

So, logically, Bunny has to work behind the scenes at Hero TV. This doesn’t mean she’ll never be shown, though—the cameraman has been shown more than once, along with a few editors, all by accident. Kaede will watch until they make another mistake. Will she see Bunny then?

God, she hopes she sees Bunny. Kotetsu won’t even talk about her under threat of death, so it’s unlikely that she’ll find anything out, but Kaede has to know. Her dad seems happy, truly happy, for the first time in a long time.

For the first time since her mom died.

Kaede wants to meet the woman responsible for making her dad grin like that, for bringing the life back into his eyes. The year he was home was agony, because although he was around, he was an empty husk. He was _miserable_.

It wasn’t just because of his declining powers, though. Or even his forced retirement. No, there was something deep-seated lurking there, something that’s always hurt him. At first, Kaede thought it was grief, still raw after all these years. But looking at him now, she realizes it wasn’t grief—it was loneliness.

She’s never thought of her dad as someone who could get lonely.

Thank you, Bunny, whoever you are, for making Kotetsu happy. God knows he deserves it.

If Kaede ever meets Bunny, she’ll give her a big hug. Her dad loves life again, and that’s the greatest gift she’s ever been given. She rags on him a lot, and yells at him a lot, but she loves him so fucking much, and she wants him to be happy.

* * *

It wasn’t on purpose. He _swears_ it wasn’t on purpose.

It’s not his fault that he is kind of an idiot, he’s always been like that, and it’s _certainly_ not his fault that he doesn’t think before he speaks. That has to be genetic, right? Anju and Muramasa aren’t like that, but his late father was, so it’s obvious where it came from. It’s not his fault that Kaede is a wildcard; he’s incapable of predicting her reaction to anything. It’s also not his fault that he neglected to tell his daughter the gender of his partner. Okay, yeah, that one is kind of his fault. I’m sensing a theme here.

He did _not_ video call Kaede with the intent of callously outing himself. If he did accidentally out himself, well, that’s between Kotetsu and God, now, isn’t it?

Man, Kotetsu just couldn’t help himself, though not for lack of trying. It’s impossible _not_ to slip up when he’s frustrated. There’s only so much a man can take.

He really needed her advice—she’s been really into romance movies lately—on getting Bunny a one-year anniversary gift. He’d tried to keep it gender-neutral, he really did, but it’s hard to get good advice from someone who thinks he’s dating a woman. There’s only so many diamond necklaces that he can turn down without sounding like an asshole. He knows she’s trying to help, but he gets annoyed despite himself.

“What kind of woman doesn’t like jewelry _or_ perfume _or_ makeup?!” Kaede demanded, face flushed, pacing in and out of frame.

Kotetsu pinched the bridge of his nose, “I know what Bunny likes.”

“There isn’t a woman on the face of the planet that doesn’t like at least one of those things!”

“That’s because Bunny isn’t a woman, Kaede!”

“I… What?”

The bottom falls out of Kotetsu’s world. He’s really fucked up, now. He silently prays that she won’t hate him for being gay. He has no idea what he’d do without her.

“I’m dating a man.”

Kaede stops her pacing and stalks up close to the camera, inspecting the image of her father closely. He wonders what she sees. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?” She asks, voice soft, and Kotetsu raises the head he hadn’t realized he lowered.

“Why do you think?”

“I don’t care if you’re gay. Is that what this is about?”

The bottom falls out of Kotetsu’s world falls out _again_. He tilts his head. “You don’t care?”

“Dad, you can love whoever you want. You’re still my dad. I…” She trails off, visibly struggling with voicing her next thought.

“Kaede-chan?”

“I just want you to be happy. If this man makes you happy, then that’s all that matters.”

“Kaede-chan!” And with that, he’s crying, sobbing into his hands with wracking shoulders. He was so fucking worried she’d hate him, even more so than before she found out he was dating in the first place, and her words have just lifted a year of crushing weight off his shoulders.

He’s so relieved that the tears flow freely, but Kaede doesn’t say anything, she just lets him cry as she looks up gift ideas on her laptop. An outside observer might think this to be callous of her, but it’s perfect—Kotetsu doesn’t want her watching him fall apart, but he wants her presence, and this is the best compromise. They’re finally finding their groove. They’re finally figuring each other out.

Once his tears dry up, she grills him with a gentle hand. He tells her that he suspected it about himself for a long time, and that he didn’t act on it until he caught feelings and Antonio pushed him in the right direction.

Kaede blinks. “Antonio? Are you with _Antonio_?!”

Stifling a laugh, Kotetsu waves a placating hand, “No, no! He’s just my best friend, y’know? He’s just the one who gave me the push I needed to figure myself out.”

Gift ideas return in full force when Kaede pulls up a few articles about the subject. Bunny has very particular tastes, and Kotetsu does his best to express them, and they spend almost twenty minutes brainstorming. Eventually, they settle on something sweet. Something handmade. Something Kotetsu hasn’t done in a very long time, not since before Tomoe died.

They chat for a while longer before Anju announces that dinner’s ready. Kaede grins at him and waves goodbye, and he waves back, grinning like a huge doofus. He’s so lucky to have Kaede. She’s the best kid on the planet, and he knows that for a fact.

He sprawls out on the couch, tired from crying and relieved as all hell. He should’ve known she’d be okay with it—this generation is a lot more accepting than his ever was. That didn’t stop him from being afraid, though.

There’s no worse pain than thinking your kid hates you. What if she’d hated him for something he couldn’t control?

She accepted it so blithely, so quickly, that Kotetsu feels a little nauseas, like he has vertigo.

He’s been on a nonstop rollercoaster of emotions over the past year, what with his relationship and Kaede, so he feels weird to be on metaphorical solid ground. Things are great with Bunny, better than he ever could’ve imagined. Kaede knows everything, now, so there’s no need to hide anymore.

It’s all out in the open. He can finally breathe.

Their one-year anniversary is next week. Kotetsu probably should’ve had his gift ready by now, but he is a master procrastinator, and a master procrastinator that had no ideas, to boot. Kaede suggested the perfect thing. He’s not even sure how she knows he used to do that.

He calls Agnes first. She answers even though it’s her one day off a week, sounding annoyed but curious about his reason for calling her. He never calls her, not even for work stuff.

Kotetsu explains what he needs from her, and she laughs jubilantly, agreeing to do her best. When she asks why, Kotetsu just hums. If she hangs up suspicious, that doesn’t matter much. Who cares if she knows?

He kind of wants everyone to know. He has to talk to Bunny about telling everyone, because he’d _really_ like to hold Bunny’s hand during meetings.

It’s not like keeping it hidden is difficult, though. They still call each other their ‘partner’, still speak to one another the same way, still leave together most nights and arrive together most mornings. Nothing has really changed about their dynamic, beyond what happens in their minds and behind closed doors. They’re not hiding anything—they don’t have to.

They’ve always been like this, haven’t they?

Agnes comes through three days later, sending him an email with almost 40 attachments. He hugs her when he sees her the next day, and she laughs, hugging him back and inviting him to a dinner party at her apartment.

“Allison is making pot roast, it’s to die for,” She says, walking alongside Kotetsu to go to the gym. Her eyes are gleaming. Is she plotting?

“Allison?”

“My wife.”

Ah. Everything falls into place. She’s watching him with analytical eyes, searching for something. It’s a test, he thinks, but he’s not sure what she’s testing.

He suspects she knows. He decides to run with it. “Cool. Can I bring my boyfriend?”

Her eyes don’t widen, so Kotetsu knows he guessed right, and she smiles the most genuine smile he’s ever seen on her. “Of course! Sunday night, 7pm, I’ll email you the address later.”

“Sounds good, thanks Agnes! For everything.”

She sweeps down the hall with relaxed shoulders and Kotetsu feels good. He enters the gym reinvigorated, diving into his workout with reckless abandon. Tonight is the night that Barnaby plays pool with Nathan, so with no other plans, Kotetsu will start on his gift as soon as he gets home.

In all honesty, he’s excited to start. It’s about time he got into this again.

Before he can start, though, he has to make a pit stop at the pharmacy. He’s got to get these pictures developed before he can do anything with them.

When he’s finally home, he clutches the photos giddily to his chest, humming to himself before spreading them out on his coffee table. There are a _lot_ of pictures here. He makes a cup of tea and sits on the floor, sifting through the pictures and sorting them into piles.

Back in high school, Kotetsu won Tomoe’s heart on their last day of their last year. He met her behind the school once classes were over, nervously handed her a poorly wrapped gift, and then booked it the hell out of there without waiting for an answer. She showed up at his house an hour later, picture frame held tightly in her white-knuckled hands, and kissed him silly when he came to greet her.

Kotetsu wouldn’t call himself an artsy person, but there is one thing he’s good at: he can make photo collages like nobody’s business. They look professionally done, if there was such a thing as professional collage makers.

He just has a knack for not only picking pictures that go well together, but also picking the most emotionally charged ones, too—his first collage for Tomoe was full of pictures of them laughing together, heads tilted toward one another, and the collage just screamed love. He’s gonna make one for Bunny.

The pictures Agnes sent him are perfect for it. There’s some from every point since they met, ones of them bickering or yelling at each other, ones from the days after Maverick, of them curled up under the same blanket with haunted eyes. Their whole relationship is spread out across the wood of one coffee table.

It seems poetic. Kotetsu holds back tears.

This is going to be his best collage yet.

* * *

It wasn’t on purpose. She _swears_ it wasn’t on purpose.

It’s not her fault that her dad couldn’t be subtle if his life depended on it, he’s always been like that, and it’s _certainly_ not her fault that he’s a hopeless romantic who only knows one nice spot in all of Oriental Town. God, she hopes his stupidity isn’t genetic. Her mom wasn’t like that, but her idiot dad has strong genes, so who knows. It’s not her fault that Kotetsu is dating some random man he works with that she still hasn’t met even though it’s been an entire _year and a half_. It’s also not her fault that she forgot her notebook on top of the hill—okay, that one was _maybe_ her fault, but really it was her friend Chiyo’s fault for distracting her.

She did _not_ stomp up that hill with the intent of spying on her dad. If she did hide in a bush to watch with bated breath, well, that’s between Kaede and God, now, isn’t it?

Man, Kaede just couldn’t help herself, though not for lack of trying. It’s impossible _not_ to spy when she knows he’s waiting for that mystery man of his. He’d told her as much when he swept out of the house, and she honestly didn’t try to follow him, but here she is nonetheless, hiding in a bush like a weirdo. I mean, after all the buildup of the mystery man, how could Kaede resist?

It’s undignified, and she knows it, but her curiosity is getting the better of her.

Kotetsu looks relaxed, leaning over the railing that separates the top of the hill from the steep valley below, dark hair fluttering lightly in the breeze. It’s nearing sundown, now, so the August sun is muted, pouring molten gold into the valley and spilling over the trees.

A minute passes. Kotetsu doesn’t move, and neither does Kaede. They both turn when they hear footsteps approaching, the crunch of gravel under boots.

Around the corner, Kaede can just make out the form of a man, one who looks to be quite tall. The goofy grin that illuminates her dad’s face tells her that this is the mystery man, this is the person who brought the life back to Kotetsu’s eyes, this is the one who could complete their family. No one will ever replace her mom, of course, but there’s still room for another, isn’t there? Especially one that makes Kotetsu smile like that.

Due to the falling sun, it takes Kaede longer than it should to recognize the man. When she does, she screams, visibly startling both men and causing Kotetsu to jump back a foot.

Barreling out of the bushes, she flings herself into Barnaby’s arms, squealing, “Barnaby?! It was you all along?!” She hugs him tightly around his middle and he barely reacts. Both men are struck speechless for a time, and Kaede uses that time to gain her composure back, peeling herself off Barnaby and fixing her skirt.

As soon as there’s no child attached to him, Barnaby rounds on Kotetsu. “Kaburagi Kotetsu, did you not tell Kaede-chan who you were dating?! It’s been a year and half!” He snaps, clenching his pale hands into fists.

“Oops?” Kotetsu offers, hands help up in surrender.

Looking defeated, Barnaby rests his head in his hand, rubbing fruitlessly at his temple, “I love you, but you are so irresponsible, sometimes, that it’s a miracle you’ve survived this long.”

“Guilty as charged.”

“Dad,” Kaede begins, about to take her turn to tear her dad a new one, “You were dating Barnaby this whole time?! And you didn’t think that was an important detail to mention?! I’ve been asking you about this for _weeks_!” She had, in fact, been asking him for _months_ to introduce her to (or at least tell her the name of) his partner, to no avail.

Barnaby huffs, “I can’t believe this is how she found out! Did you tell her _anything_ on purpose?”

Kotetsu’s cheeks turn bright red. As far as both Kaede and Barnaby are concerned, that’s answer enough. “Oops?” He offers again, and both Kaede and Barnaby are separately overcome with the urge to throttle him.

Huffing, Kaede stomps over to grab her notebook from the grass near the railing before turning around and stomping back over to her father and his partner. She grabs Barnaby’s hand and drags him back down the hill, telling him, “He can walk back alone. We’re going home.” He offers no protest, letting himself be dragged by this hurricane of a child.

The roar of Barnaby’s motorcycle is loud in the empty streets, echoing between the sparse homesteads dotting the roadside, and Kaede wonders how she didn’t hear it when he pulled up.

The setting sun paints everything amber.

Barnaby drives slow, of course, after forcing Kaede to put her father’s helmet on before she climbed into the sidecar. It’s much too big for her, leaving her unable to see through the visor, but the ride is more fun like that, with that air of mystery, with the whistle of air whipping around her skull.

If either bothered to look, they’d see Kotetsu walking far in the distance, shoulders slumped and hands shoved into his pockets. He’s lost in thought. Sometimes he wonders if that’s where he always is.

When Barnaby pulls up to the Kaburagi home, Kaede is gone in seconds, sweeping into the house and soon returning with her grandmother in tow. She’s explaining the situation very matter-of-factly, and Barnaby can’t help but be embarrassed. Anju looks at him with a critical eye. She’s testing him, and he knows it, but he doesn’t know how to pass. They’ve met before—multiple times, actually—but never in this context, never like this.

“So _you’re_ the infamous boyfriend, huh, Barnaby?” She asks, voice laden with affectionate exasperation.

“Yes, ma’am,” Barnaby replies politely, because if there’s anything to be said about Barnaby, it’s that he’s one polite boy.

Anju’s smile widens. “I’d hoped it was you. Well, you know the drill, make yourself at home. I’m going to take a bath.” With that, she retreats back into the house, leaving Barnaby speechless and Kaede extremely smug.

“See?” Kaede hums, hands clasped behind her, “And my goofy dad thought it would be a big deal. What a dummy!”

Barnaby can’t hold back his chuckle, so he doesn’t bother to. “What a dummy, indeed.”

God, that was so _easy_. He didn’t think it’d be bad, but he also didn’t think it’d be easy like breathing. When he thinks about it, though, it makes sense—they’ve always treated him like a part of the family, haven’t they? They’ve always loved him here.

Kaede and Barnaby are inside watching TV when Kotetsu finally arrives. He has Muramasa in tow, which is decidedly strange, and Barnaby stands to greet them. Kaede remains firmly entrenched on the couch, but she does call out a callous greeting to her uncle, who just chuckles in reply. He’s used to Kaede’s antics by now.

“Muramasa, this is my boyfriend, Barnaby. I know you’ve met before—yeah, yeah—but I’ve never introduced him like that, so. Here we are,” Kotetsu says awkwardly, reaching out to entwine his fingers with Barnaby’s.

“Oh, so you _were_ dating Barnaby, shit. I owe Mom money now. Thanks, jackass.”

“What?!”

“We had a bet. I thought it’d be Antonio, she thought it’d be Barnaby,” Muramasa deadpans, voice dry like always, and Kaede snorts from the couch. Barnaby can’t tell if he’s joking or not. “Is that what you dragged me over here for? You could’ve told me that over the phone.”

Kotetsu is bright red and spluttering, so Muramasa just rolls his eyes and heads over to where Kaede is, flopping next to her on the couch. She scooches closer to him and hands him the remote.

Muramasa is flips through channels, apparently done with the conversation, and Barnaby feels a little lost. “Kotetsu?” He asks gently, reaching out to cup his partner’s face, “Are you alright? Has your brain finally melted?”

“No,” Kotetsu snorts, “I’m just… in shock, I guess. I didn’t think it’d be that easy.”

“I actually agree. This has all been almost too easy.”

“I won’t complain, though,” Kotetsu purrs, wrapping his arms around Barnaby’s neck and pulling him into an alcove out of sight from the couch. He kisses Barnaby, slow and gentle, and he smiles into the kiss when Barnaby’s long arms wrap around his waist.

After biting Kotetsu’s bottom lip, Barnaby pulls back to glare half-heartedly at him. “I should still be mad at you.”

“I know,” Kotetsu agrees, leaning up to kiss his partner again, “I’m sorry. I should’ve known better.”

“You really should’ve. What kind of example are you setting for your daughter?”

They make out in the hallway like teenagers for a while before slinking back into the TV room and collapsing onto the loveseat. Neither Kaede nor Muramasa acknowledge their return, clearly engaged in the soap opera dancing across the screen, and everything feels normal again. They watch the series until late in night, until Kaede stands up and yawns, going around to kiss everyone in the room on the cheek before trudging upstairs. Barnaby feels warm to his core when he gets one, too.

He and Kotetsu fall asleep curled up together, legs intertwined, breaths mingling on their shared pillow.

The next morning, Barnaby makes everyone breakfast while Kaede and Kotetsu argue over her hair. She wants to cut it, but he loves her hair when it’s long, so he’s being a child and trying to guilt her into keeping it. It’s domestic, finally back in a normal rhythm after all the ups and downs, and Barnaby finds that he wouldn’t give it up for anything.

He’s happy, here in this old house, surrounded by a family, _his_ family. Kotetsu is happy, too; you can see it in the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes and the lopsided smile he can’t seem to keep off his face.

They’re together and in love. There’s nothing better than this, than this life that they’ve created together, this haven that they’ve carved from the weathered rock of existence.

**Author's Note:**

> i love kotetsu to death but he really has no idea how to tell anyone anything at all ever
> 
> hope you enjoyed!


End file.
